HANLEY Swan postmaster Alan Davies suffered life-threatening head injuries when he was attacked by burglars, a jury heard.

After Mr Davies was struck a number of blows by a blunt instrument, his wife had the awful experience of finding him bleeding and disorientated in the early hours of August 10 last year, said Peter Cooke, prosecuting at Worcester Crown Court.

He alleged the intruders were Malcolm Hitchings and Thomas Lloyd, operating as a criminal team targeting Post Offices in rural locations from their home in South Wales.

The pair stole cars to carry out the crimes and left them burned out to cover their tracks, it was claimed.

But Mr Cooke said CCTV film, fingerprints and blood matched by DNA testing linked them to the spate of break-ins and thefts over a two-month period.

A stolen BMW with blue flashing lights allegedly disturbed two women in Brookmill Close, Colwall, on July 30. They had been neighbours of Hitchings when he lived in the same street.

That same night, Welland Post Office was attacked and attempted raids were also carried out on Post Offices in Bosbury and Much Marcle.

Mr Cooke said a jemmy found in a burned-out Honda in Ledbury, a car bought by Hitchings at auction, was matched by scientists to marks left on the doors of Colwall Cricket Club pavilion, another targeted property. He suggested the jemmy may have been used on Mr Davies when he surprised the raiders.

The victim, who lived in a flat above the Post Office with his family, had little or no recollection of what happened, said Mr Cooke.

Nothing was stolen and at first it was thought Mr Davies had fallen and hurt himself.

But neighbours disturbed by the raid heard glass repeatedly smashed and a car being driven off at 4.30am with its wheels spinning.

Mr Cooke said: "It is not our case they intended violence at the outset. They were shocked to be met by somebody up and about. What was done to Mr Davies was a panic reaction to being startled. But great and dangerous violence was done to him."

During the spate of thefts, Poolbrook Road One Stop Shop was targeted twice, with an attempted break-in on August 2 and ram-raid on August 5.

Other local stores broken into included Provisions of Colwall, where blood matching Hitchings' DNA profile was found by a chiller cabinet after the glass front door was smashed on August 2.

Cigarettes were stolen from A D Daniels Garage in Malvern Wells on August 2 and there was an attempted break in at Willows Newsagents, Avenue Road, Malvern on August 9.

Hitchings, 20, and 19-year-old Lloyd, both of Waterloo Place, Aberdare, deny aggravated burglary at Hanley Swan post office, inflicting grievous bodily harm on Mr Davies and perverting the course of justice by setting the Honda ablaze.

They also plead not guilty to conspiring to burgle, steal and commit arson, possession of criminal property, theft, and making off from garages without payment for petrol.

According to Mr Cooke, Hitchings said "no comment" in a number of police interviews. But he issued a statement claiming he bought the Honda for a banned driver.

Lloyd also declined to answer questions.

The prosecutor said: "These two men at no stage provided any answers to the case against them. That's because they have no answers that would stand up to scrutiny.

"Hitchings' blood was at a crime scene, Lloyd was filmed filling up their car. But their stance has been to say nothing and enter not guilty pleas and hope the prosecution can't prove it."

The trial continues.